Weddings

A Christian marriage is a covenant agreement between two persons and Christ. It joins a man and a woman together in a life-long, committed relationship in which Jesus Christ is both a third party and the center of the marriage. You are coming together to establish a new home where the Lord will continue to accomplish His purpose for your lives. Therefore, Christian marriage requires not only a committed relationship between wife and husband, but also a committed, personal relationship between each marriage partner and Christ.

The Christian marriage service is a service of worship in which a man and a woman come before God and the community of faith to enter publically into this covenant agreement with each other. All aspects of a wedding should reflect and celebrate the special significance of this Christian understanding of marriage.

The church has prepared and approved the following guidelines to aid the pastors and the congregation in preparing and performing a wedding consistent with its commitments to strong, God-glorifying marriages and to Christ-centered worship in the community of faith.

Deposits

Before a wedding can be placed on the calendar, a $200 security deposit must be paid. The total deposit will be refunded within thirty days after the wedding on the condition that all wedding guidelines have been observed and no damage has occurred to church property. Failure to observe these wedding guidelines may result in forfeiture of the deposit in whole or in part. If damage to church property has occurred, the amount for repairs or additional cleaning will be subtracted from the deposit.

One-half of the appropriate fees and expenses (plus the deposit) is due at the time the wedding is placed on the church calendar. The balance will be due in full seven days prior to the wedding date. Refunds for cancellations will be at the pastor’s discretion.

Facilities & Fees

Based on availability and the pastor’s approval, the Sanctuary, the Chapel and the Fellowship Hall may be reserved for a wedding and reception. The Sanctuary and Chapel at First United Methodist Church seat a maximum of 550 and 75 persons, respectively, and the Fellowship Hall can accommodate 200 persons for a reception.

While there are certain fees associated with a wedding at First United Methodist Church, church facilities and personnel are never “rented out.” All participants should at all times observe church guidelines, policies, traditions and the integrity of the community that worships here. The schedule of fees will apply in order to cover utility, insurance, building, custodial, and personnel costs.

The custodial fees are for regular cleaning and not for major cleanup after an event. Cleanup is always the responsibility of the user of any church facility. Therefore, the church expects that the wedding party will clean up after themselves, including removing decorations and any items brought to the church, cleaning up the kitchen area if used, washing and returning to storage all cookware, dishes and utensils, and returning tables and chairs to their proper places. Cleanup must be done immediately after the events on the church premises conclude, and all facilities must be returned to their normal order, ready for the next regularly scheduled church event.